C-USA dealing with whether to pay athletes

[Harry]

University of Texas at San Antonio's Lynn Hickey and other Conference USA athletic directors are meeting this week in Boca Raton, Florida, and one of the items on the agenda is the controversial cost-of-attendance athlete reimbursement model adopted recently by college football's so-called Power Five conferences the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference.

Under the new system, athletes attending participating universities in those conferences may now receive enhanced scholarship support additional money covering expanded costs associated with attending school. Other Division I conferences are now tackling the issue, for fear they could be further relegated to second-tier status.

Read more: http://m.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/01/28/c-usa-utsa-dealing-with-whether-to-pay-athletes.html?r=full

[Harry]

The most complex and costly of these provisions is cost of attendance. Traditional athletic scholarships cover tuition, fees, room, board and books. Cost of attendance allows universities to cover travel to and from home, clothes and other expenses up to the full amount a traditional student might spend annually. Authorized cost of attendance figures for C-USA member schools vary from $2,000 to $5,000 per student.

Key Question for C-USA schools:

C-USA has allowed each member institution to determine if and how it will award cost of attendance grants. Over the next few weeks, UTSA will be reviewing what is best and most fair for our student-athletes and what is financially feasible. The other important consideration is the need to stay competitive with our peers by offering scholarships of equal value to prospective student-athletes.

Read more: http://www.goutsa.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13100&ATCLID=209284955#.VMmOHmSM_NY.twitter

[Harry]

This is going to get very interesting in regards to which C-USA schools will pony up and make this happen. There is no question in mind that for those who are able it will provide a distinct recruiting advantage.

[drex]

Seems to me a conference-wide model should be constructed.

[FirefightnRick]

What ever they come up with I'm convinced the people running La Tech will find a way to make it happen and be successful at it.

Rick

[Harry]

Seems to me a conference-wide model should be constructed.

In a perfect world yes. But it doesn't appear that is the case, there are different budgets among the C-USA member schools.

[GMG24]

Dear sweet baby Jesus, please let North Texas suck it up, provide the extra $ hell, take it out of recruiting budget. now let's go mean green!

[UNT90]

Dear sweet baby Jesus, please let North Texas suck it up, provide the extra $ hell, take it out of recruiting budget. now let's go mean green!

Don't hold your breath.

[Ben Gooding]

Dear sweet baby Jesus, please let North Texas suck it up, provide the extra $ hell, take it out of recruiting budget. now let's go mean green!

In a sense if this is a per school issue it would be a very big recruiting tool, so taking it out if the recruiting budget would make perfect sense. However, this is the exact slippery slope that I hoped would never happen happening right before me. If schools have the option of paying or how much to pay then we might as well kiss our ass good bye in terms of ever even dreaming of P5 status. We'll see how this plays out, it'll be interesting.

[glick1980]

These amounts (along with the portion of of scholarships related to room and board, food, etc.) are all taxable income. Does anybody think any of these kids are paying taxes?

[cogido]

UNT BOR better damn well pony up.

[Harry]

Looks like FAU is stepping up: http://www.upressonline.com/2015/01/fau-to-increase-athletes-stipends-starting-next-year/

[UNT90]

Such language on a public forum...

[oldguystudent]

These amounts (along with the portion of of scholarships related to room and board, food, etc.) are all taxable income. Does anybody think any of these kids are paying taxes?

So what does it amount to? A couple thousand dollars a year? Well below the filing threshold if that's the total amount of income they have. If not, you know we have a school of business with a really strong accounting program at UNT, right? I'd think real hard about contacting Don Finn and providing opportunities for students to provide tax prep assistance.

[UNTexas]

UNT has to pay up. Schools in Texas will all do it. We're toast in recruiting if UNT doesn't pay.

[untcampbell]

I suppose ALL athletes will get a little stipend under their pillow, not just football. Yes?

GMG

[glick1980]

So what does it amount to? A couple thousand dollars a year? Well below the filing threshold if that's the total amount of income they have. If not, you know we have a school of business with a really strong accounting program at UNT, right? I'd think real hard about contacting Don Finn and providing opportunities for students to provide tax prep assistance.

I guess I just don't know how much the room and board portion of scholarships is valued at. Could it be close to 10k a year? Maybe, adding another 5k may make these kids owe some tax, I'm not sure.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I guess I just don't know how much the room and board portion of scholarships is valued at. Could it be close to 10k a year? Maybe, adding another 5k may make these kids owe some tax, I'm not sure.

Good point. The room and board portion of a scholarship is technically taxable.

[Greendylan]

People, I think we're burying the lead here. A "NotUNT90" has emerged on the board! This presents a great disturbance in the force.

Also, 500th post!! It took me almost ten years, but I got there.

[UNT90]

I expected a lot better schtick from such a persona.

Oh well.

[greenit]

Do not worry, RV has already devised a well thought out and original plan to pay for the extra cost. It will shock most of you.

[southsideguy]

but if they do not perform on the field do they get fired? oral warning, written notice then gone?

[Quoner]

This bit sucks.